Close encounters while on stand....

[Bakes168]

Lets hear some stories of some close encounters you've had with little critters while sitting in your tree stand.

To start things off. The first time I ever went bowhunting with my dad I had a mouse on the tree right above me. I've had birds fly right by me (and poop on me  :rolleyes:  ). And I'm sure we've all been startled by the occasional tree rat  :D .

Zack

[heartshoth]

had a chickadee perch on my arrow in stand...had to hit a 6x6 bull elk with video camera, while it was running, to avoid getting stepped on...

heartshot

this oughtta be a good post..

[Stan the bow man]

Gillie suite bird landed on my head.Boy did i jump  :eek:    :eek:    :eek:    :eek:

[deermaster1]

squirrels playing on the roof of my plywood box blind.  NOISY!!!  but entertaining

[mathews4ever]

I have had a pileated woodpecker land on the branch right next to me. not 2 feet away.

[Sam McMichael]

Once when my son was too young to sit in a stand by himself, he and I were sitting together in the same tree stand. Shortly after daylight we felt a sprinkle, even though the sky was blue and cloudless. The nutty smell made us look up. It was not rain. Instead a big squirrell had just peed all over us.

[GingivitisKahn]

Lessee...

I've been buzzed by a great gray owl, stalked by a gray fox, trodden on by a chipmonk, pooped on by an ornery bird of some sort and serenaded by a house wren while s/he perched on my arrow.

[mwmwmb]

i had a coon try to climb the tree i was in early this month.

[ron w]

I had 2 ravens 3 feet away while in a tree stand on a bear hunt in New Brunswick last fall. I never knew how vocal these birds are even when they are perched. Plus they are good sized critters.

[kennym]

2 days ago I was charged by a herd of wild deer and wakened from a sound sleep. Luckily I was in a treestand,and managed to drive them off by shooting an arrow just under the largest one.

Last year we set a stand and managed to put it 20' from a pileated woodpecker nest hole with 2 birds living in it!

[ChuckC]

Neighbor had a porcupine pee on him from above.  He was not thrilled.

Had numerous encounters with hawks and owls.  Had a three legged coon climb a large vine that ran up my tree.... right past me.  Had chickadees land on my nocked arrow (2x).

In a ghillie suit on the ground, I had a decent buck come within just 3-4 feet of me.  Got worried when I remembered the doe-in-heat wafer I had pinned to the suit.
ChuckC

[MYSTIKBOW]

I've always been one to go to my treestand while it is still very dark. One morning instead of waiting for it to get slightly light to climb into my stand I proceeded to climb up the tree steps only to come face to face with a big ol coon. Not sure which one of us was startled more. He took off up the trss like a lightning bolt and I hung on for dear life with my heart in my throat.

[ishiwannabe]

Mystikbow...same scenario, 'cept it was a porcupine. He won, I hunted from the ground that morning.

[fatman]

Close call, Kenny, glad to hear you came through it OK    

Kevin
 

[Coonbait]

I had a momma bear with 3 cubs standing less than 5yds from the tree I was in. She could smell me but couldn't see me so she wolfed and sent the cubs into the trees. Problem was they climbed the trees surrounding me. I could have touched 2 of them with the end of an arrow. Of course they stopped eye ball to eye ball with me. I was scared to death that they would see me and start whining. After about 5 minutes she calmed down and they climbed down and ambelled away. After I calmed down I figured I had enough of the outdoors for the day and got the HECK out of there before dark! Still makes me worry about what could have been. I'm a pretty good shot but they're quick and it's tough shooting through the slats in a treestand.
GLENN

[LONGHORN]

I too had a porcupine in my stand one morning    :eek:    :eek: ,good thing I always shine my light up before I climb, I hunted from the ground also that morning    

[BroMark]

Back in November this year while sitting in a stand I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye.  I turned just in time to see a small hawk coming in feet first - right at me...     I threw my arms/hands up to block and it turned at the last second and then lit on a branch in a tree about 20 yards away from me.

[Whip]

I had a Great Horned owl come in for a landing on a branch right at my elbow and actually hit me with his wing as he landed.

[Coonbait]

Been attacked by a flying squirrel twice on different farms. Vicious little creatures they are. Both times it was almost dark when the invasion of my tree started. Makes it hard to get down when they are charging your head!
GLENN

[waknstak IL]

I had a bald eagle do a fly by my stand about 5 feet from me down in the Shawnee National Forest. I guess I never really had a grasp on their wingspan until then. Dang they are big! They really catch some air as they glide by too.